College Basketball: Young team's impressive season comes to close

By ROB GREGOR, For The Times Herald

Monday, March 4, 2013

LOWER GWYNEDD — The 2012-2013 Gwynedd-Mercy College men’s basketball team had a balance of highs and lows. Led by senior co-captains Frank Champion and Brendan Stanton, the Griffins sent a message to the rest of the Colonial States Athletic Conference, posting a 14-4 record. Although the team failed to make an appearance in the CSAC Championship game, with a loss in the semi-final round to Keystone, the future remains bright for a young squad comprised of seven freshmen and four sophomores.

“We have a case of growing pains,” Gwynedd-Mercy College head coach John Baron said. “Out of 14 kids on the team, nine are new.”

Both Champion and Stanton knew this obvious fact going into the season. They both knew they would be called upon to guide a maturing team to the proverbial “promised land.”

“They are both leaders,” Baron said. “They are quiet leaders. They lead by work ethic and their play on the court.”

Stanton and Champion certainly aren’t strangers to hard work. Both players have shown drastic improvements in their game throughout their tenure at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

Champion, a product of Mainland Regional High School in New Jersey, has consistently improved his play in each successive year. The four-year starter, who has nearly doubled his points per game total since his freshman year, reached a career goal of 1,000 points this season during a win against Neumann University on February 13.

“It really means a lot getting 1,000 career points here at Gwynedd-Mercy,” Champion said. “I missed the 1,000-point mark in high school by about 50 points, so this is special.”

Stanton, a two-year starter at Gwynedd-Mercy College and a product of Lansdale Catholic High School, has shown great determination the past four years and has established himself on this team as not only a leader but a playmaker. Stanton’s average of 7.3 points per game is also more than double his freshman year point average.

Both Stanton and Champion agree that their success stemmed not only from hard work and off-season training, but also maturity.

“I really put in a lot of work during the offseason in between my sophomore and junior year,” Stanton said when asked about off-season training. “That was the first time that I seriously began lifting weights. I gained 15 pounds that offseason and I believe that really helped my game.”

“During this past off-season I trained with Dennis Horner, who plays for a D (Development)-League team affiliated with the Nets,” Champion said. “He is 6’9. I never see anyone that size. He has been on an active NBA roster. I feel like training with him takes my ability to the next level.”

Champion believes that he flourishes in a system where he is given a lot of responsibility. “I feel like I play better when people are looking up to me,” Champion stated.

Stanton accepted his role as well. “I am a laid back kind of guy. I do, however, feel that it is my duty to teach some of these younger guys the ropes,” Stanton said. “When I was a young player, a senior took me under his wing and helped me learn a lot. I kind of just want to return the favor.”

It is safe to say that the favor was returned to the team by both Stanton and Champion. The team finished the season with a 15-11 record, and clinched the No. 2 seed going into the CSAC tournament.

Freshman Darnell Artis, under the leadership of Stanton and Champion, as well as the coaching staff, was named the CSAC Rookie of the Year. Champion and sophomore Justin Knight, accompanied by Artis, were named to the CSAC All-Conference Team. Stanton was awarded All-Sportsmanship Team honors.

While the journey may be over for Stanton and Champion, Artis and Knight will be looked upon by the team to step into leadership roles over the next few years. The Griffins will look for Artis and Knight to improve on their already stellar play this season and help bring Gwynedd-Mercy College its first CSAC championship since the 2008-2009 season.